ignorance almost killed me yesterday

[Bonnet Ray]

If what happened to snuggles was a hypo, which is yet to be determined, it is clear that snuggles did not feel it coming, or snuggles would not have gone diving. So it appears that snuggles may be a diabetic with "poor hypo warning." Regardless of how small the chance of a hypo might be, it appears to have happened to snuggles.

I guess we are all asuming this was a hypo before we know the facts.

Having a "hypo" underwater is probably one of the worst places for it to happen. You will probably agree with this statement.
Actually having a hypo at 70 on the motorway was the worst possible place as I was far from help and very much alone. My buddy is never far away.

Whether or not a particular diabetic has good awareness of when a hypo event is immanent, that diver has some risks to confront that the average diver does not. That person may misjudge their condition. That person may not tell their physician about his or her scuba diving, and may end up diving when a physician would say not to. That person may be unable to surface before "real" danger is at hand.

As you know little about diabetes how do you know if this is true, sorry but you make assumptions that i can't agree with. I know that I am fit and well, do most divers know what condition they are in? There has been an example this week of a guy having a heart attack in his early 30s. I know my bp, cholestrol and ECG.


quote:
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I believe that this culture of blaming people with diabetes before they have done anything wrong is encouraging people with diabetes not to say that they have diabetes (too many diabetes in one sentence!). This is when things get dangerous.
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Nobody is blaming anybody for anything. There is no fault associated with having diabetes. That does not mean that the fact that someone has diabetes should be ignored.

Yes people with diabetes get blamed everyday. I know, I have been called a idiot for wanting to dive, that I put myself, my buddy and my family at risk by diving.

I would be unhappy if I learned that a dive buddy had concealed his or her diabetes from me. If someone I dive with may have a seizure underwater, I need to know that. I get to choose both whether I am comfortable with my ability to deal with the seizure should it occur, and with the possibility that my buddy may be having a seizure while I am about to run out of air.

So this about your danger. All the people that I know with diabetes that dive are very aware of themselves and those diving with them and would never put others in danger.

I am sorry to rant and rave but as I said it makes me mad that diabetes is held up as being dangerous when diving ,when with a bit of know most people recognise that we are of little more risk that 'normal divers'.

i am more than happy to inform people of what they need to know aboput people that dive with diabetes if they want to know.

 

[WreckWriter]

Bonnet Ray once bubbled...
I am sorry to rant and rave but as I said it makes me mad that diabetes is held up as being dangerous when diving ,when with a bit of know most people recognise that we are of little more risk that 'normal divers'.

Don't be sorry. If you a need to rant, rant. Personally, I'm not a doc and I know little about diabetes. I'm not holding it up as a danger to any great degree (although I have always heard it was a general contraindiction to diving).

I don't know what a "hypo" is, either being one or having one, although its a fairly easy guess. My complaint is not that Snuggle has diabetes.

What I AM holding up as dangerous when diving, is stupidity.

WW

 

[O-ring]

...but I, like WW, have always heard that diabetes and diving were contraindicated.

Back to the story...let's wait until we get the rest of the information, or as UP put it, TROTS..

 

[snuggle]

thank goodness stupidity isnt a crime or there would be a lot of people in jail according to you..hey im stupid everybody...there happy now WW...youdont know me and i dont know you but i have enough decency to let you have your opinion..and by the way HYPO meanslow sugar and HYpergycemia means high sugar WW

 

[Bonnet Ray]

No-one has stopped me diving yet and I'll fight them to the water if needs beut:

I have to sleep but I look forward to your replies in the morning

Dive safe

 

[ScoobieDooo]

Snuggle,
I am glad to hear that you are OK and recovering.

I work in an ICU unit and we treat many diabetics. While not necessarily a precursor to have to quit diving, diabetics can have unexpected blackouts if insulin levels drop too low or get too high - but I am sure you already KNOW all this. Diabetic coma and shock are two VERY real scenarios for you and other diabetics.

I hope you never dive without a buddy again. In an emergency, at least your dive buddy could have helped you surface and kept the reg in your mouth and inflated your BC.

You were very lucky this time - not everyone gets that lucky in their life.

I'd discuss this with your doctor, AND, never, ever dive solo again.

Take care of yourself. Good luck..

 

[snuggle]

thanks and just to let everyone know i am NOT on insulin..just wanted to make that clear..

 

[Bonnet Ray]

Again the diabetes is assumed when we have no idea if this caused the problem.

How many other people without diabetes do you treat each day?

As a health proffesional I am surprised that you call as diabetics. I thought nowadays it was general recognised that we were people with diabetes. Yes this is my biggest bug bear! I might have diabetes but I also have alot more!!! It's like calling elderly people bed blockers.

 

[WreckWriter]

snuggle once bubbled...
thank goodness stupidity isnt a crime or there would be a lot of people in jail according to you..hey im stupid everybody...there happy now WW...youdont know me and i dont know you but i have enough decency to let you have your opinion..and by the way HYPO meanslow sugar and HYpergycemia means high sugar WW

You know what "Snuggle"? You can get as pissed off as you want to and it won't change a thing.

You did have the courage to tell the story here, I applaud you for that. You don't, however, seem to be willing to learn from the experience.

Did you post this simply to have everyone say how glad they were that you were ok? How much they hoped you'd be back diving soon? Or, did you want real opinions from people that have been doing this a while and have seen the results of such "incidents"? Which is it?

I AM glad you're ok. I don't know if I hope you'll be back diving soon or not.

Am I not letting you have "have your opinion"? You haven't expressed one that I can see. How bout it, what happened to you? Do you REALLY not remember popping that weight belt?

You want an honest opinion on diving safety, I'll give it to you. You want sympathy? It's in the dictionary,<deleted>.

WW

 

[Doof]

Are you saying you think its smart for a diabetic to dive solo in an unfamiliar lake??

Aren't all lakes unfamiliar at one time?

If what happened to snuggles was indeed a medical occurence that caused him\her to just black out, then I don't see how being in a familiar place could have helped any. After all, snuggles didn't help him\herself. A fisherman did. Until it's determined that his\her accident was caused by some unique condition of that lake, then I just don't see how familiararity of the site matters.

Of course, it's always a good idea to dive a new site with somebody that's familiar with it. At the very least, you and your buddy should seek out information about the place... like nearest phone, local emergency phone numbers, and info about the dive site. That's just common sense.

But just blacking out underwater while solo? No amount of familiarization with the site is going to help you then.